A reasonable adjustment can make the difference between a disabled employee being able to do their job effectively and struggling to work around a barrier every day. So what happens when an employee asks for an adjustment but is left waiting for a decision?
This is a particularly relevant question in the UK right now.
On 11 September 2026, the UK government published new research examining delays in employers making decisions about reasonable adjustment requests. The research looked at the process from both employee and employer perspectives and identified issues including manager confusion, differing expectations about what is reasonable and delays involving specialist equipment or other sources of support.
Then, on 23 September, the government published a further update on the proposed Workplace Health System, which includes a focus on acting earlier, keeping people in work and agreeing and implementing adjustments as quickly as practicable.
There is also fresh Acas research highlighting difficulties around reasonable adjustments, workplace communication and delays in putting support in place as factors associated with conflict involving disabled workers.
So reasonable adjustments are not simply an HR issue.
They are part of the wider conversation about whether disabled people can get into work, stay in work and participate effectively once they are there.
What is a reasonable adjustment?
A reasonable adjustment is a change an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage experienced by a disabled person because of their disability.
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in appropriate circumstances. Adjustments can relate to working practices, the physical workplace, working arrangements, equipment, communication and support.
There is no single list of adjustments that applies to every disabled person.
That is because the adjustment should respond to the individual barrier.
For example, one employee might need:
- Assistive technology
- Information in an accessible format
- Changes to their working pattern
- Additional breaks
- A quieter workspace
- Changes to lighting
- Flexible or hybrid working
- Changes to how meetings are conducted
- Additional time for certain tasks
- A different way of completing training
- Specialist equipment or support
Another employee with the same disability may need something completely different.
This is why employers should talk to the person rather than making assumptions.
The longer someone waits, the longer the barrier remains
This is one of the most important parts of the conversation.
A reasonable adjustment is not simply an administrative request.
While an employee is waiting, the disadvantage that led them to request the adjustment may still be there.
Imagine an employee with a visual impairment has requested assistive technology because they are struggling to access a particular system.
If that technology is delayed, the employee may still be trying to work around the inaccessible system every day.
They may be able to complete some tasks.
They may find other tasks slower.
They may need to ask colleagues for assistance.
They may have to use workarounds.
They may spend additional time completing something that other employees can do directly.
The employee may still be working, but that does not necessarily mean they can work effectively and independently.
That distinction matters.
The government research found that some disabled workers experience delays in having requests acknowledged or receiving a decision. University of York research cited in the report found that 23% of disabled workers surveyed waited more than a month for a decision, while 9.8% waited more than three months. The government also stresses that the evidence base is limited and that these figures should not be treated as representative of every workplace.
Nevertheless, the practical point is clear:
Every unnecessary delay can mean more time spent working around a barrier.
How does an employee ask for a reasonable adjustment?
There is no need to make the request unnecessarily complicated.
An employee can speak to their manager, HR department or another appropriate person within their organisation.
The request could be made verbally or in writing, depending on the organisation and the circumstances.
For example:
“I’m experiencing a difficulty at work because of my disability. I believe an adjustment would help me carry out my role more effectively. I’d like to discuss what could be put in place.”
The employee can then explain:
What is the barrier?
What part of the job is difficult because of the disability?
What would help?
Is there a particular adjustment that the employee knows would help?
What would the impact be?
How would the adjustment help them perform their role?
The employee does not necessarily need to know the perfect solution before making the request.
Sometimes they know exactly what would help.
Sometimes they know there is a problem but need to explore possible solutions with their employer.
That conversation is important.
Acas guidance states that employers should talk to the person and should not make assumptions about what adjustment will remove or reduce the disadvantage.
What happens after the request?
This is where the process can become frustrating.
An employee may make a request and then wonder:
Has anyone received it?
Who is dealing with it?
Does my employer need more information?
Will I need an occupational health assessment?
Is the adjustment being considered?
When will I hear back?
What happens while I am waiting?
The employee should not have to guess.
Even if an employer cannot make an immediate decision, communication matters.
A simple acknowledgement can make a significant difference:
“We’ve received your request and are looking into it. We need to discuss this with X and we’ll update you by [date].”
That tells the employee that the request has not disappeared into a system.
It also gives everyone a next step.
Keep the employee informed
This is an area where organisations can make a practical improvement without necessarily spending money.
Communication costs very little.
If a decision is taking longer than expected, tell the employee.
If further information is needed, explain what is needed.
If equipment has been ordered, let the employee know.
If an external organisation is involved, explain that there may be a delay.
If the original adjustment cannot be provided, arrange a conversation about alternatives.
Silence creates uncertainty.
And uncertainty can make an already difficult situation harder.
The recent government research found that delays can occur at several points, including acknowledgement, decision-making and implementation. It also identified reliance on external organisations for specialist equipment as one potential source of delay.
That means an employer may not always be able to control how quickly an external service provides something.
But the employer can control communication.
What if the adjustment cannot be implemented immediately?
Sometimes an adjustment genuinely takes time.
Perhaps specialist equipment needs to be sourced.
Perhaps an assessment is required.
Perhaps the employer needs more information.
Perhaps the proposed adjustment is not straightforward.
That does not mean the employee should simply be left waiting without support.
Ask:
Is there a temporary measure that could reduce the disadvantage while the longer-term solution is being arranged?
For example, could:
- A temporary change to working arrangements help?
- Another system be used?
- A colleague provide short-term support?
- Tasks be temporarily organised differently?
- Meetings be changed?
- Information be provided in another format?
- A temporary piece of equipment be used?
The temporary solution may not replace the final adjustment.
But it could reduce the disadvantage while everyone works towards a longer-term answer.
What does “reasonable” actually mean?
The word “reasonable” can sometimes create confusion.
It does not mean that an employer can simply decide that an adjustment is inconvenient and refuse it.
The employer needs to consider the individual circumstances.
Acas explains that factors can include whether the adjustment would remove or reduce the disadvantage, whether it is practical, whether it is affordable and whether there are relevant health and safety considerations. The employer does not have to change the basic nature of the job.
The right adjustment is therefore not necessarily the employee’s first suggestion.
There may be several ways of removing or reducing the disadvantage.
That is why a conversation is so important.
The aim should be:
What can we do to remove or reduce this barrier?
rather than:
Can we find a reason not to do this?
Managers do not need to know everything
One reason reasonable adjustment requests can become delayed is that managers may not know what to do.
The recent government research identified manager confusion as one of the factors associated with delays.
That does not necessarily mean managers do not care.
A manager may simply be unsure:
- Who should they speak to?
- Does HR need to be involved?
- Should occupational health be consulted?
- What information can they ask for?
- Is the requested adjustment reasonable?
- Who pays?
- What happens if the adjustment does not work?
- How should the employee’s privacy be handled?
This is why disability awareness is important at management level.
A manager does not need to become a disability specialist.
But they should have enough knowledge and confidence to know how to respond when an employee says:
“I need an adjustment to do my job effectively.”
The employee should not have to keep chasing
Imagine asking for an adjustment.
A week passes.
Then another.
You ask your manager.
They say they are waiting for HR.
You contact HR.
They say they are waiting for occupational health.
You wait again.
You ask for an update.
Nobody knows.
Eventually, you are spending your time chasing the adjustment that was supposed to help you do your job.
That is not a good process.
An employee should know:
Who is responsible?
What happens next?
When will I receive an update?
The responsibility for managing the process should not simply fall on the disabled employee.
What can employers do differently?
A straightforward process can make things much easier.
1. Acknowledge the request
Let the employee know that their request has been received.
2. Arrange a conversation
Discuss the barrier rather than making assumptions about the person’s disability.
3. Understand what is needed
Ask what would help the employee carry out their role effectively.
4. Consider possible solutions
Look at the requested adjustment and any reasonable alternatives.
5. Explain what happens next
If further information or assessment is required, explain why.
6. Give the employee an update
Do not leave them wondering what is happening.
7. Put the adjustment in place
Once agreed, make sure the people responsible actually know what needs to happen.
8. Check that it works
An adjustment that looks good on paper may not work as expected in practice.
9. Review when circumstances change
A person’s role, workplace, technology or disability-related needs may change.
This does not need to become an enormous bureaucratic process.
It needs to become a reliable process.
Reasonable adjustments are about enabling people to work
It is easy to focus on the cost of an adjustment.
But there is another side of the calculation.
What happens when someone cannot work effectively because a barrier has not been removed?
They may become less productive.
They may need additional support from colleagues.
They may become frustrated.
They may feel excluded.
They may experience unnecessary stress.
They may eventually leave.
The government’s September 2026 Workplace Health System update specifically focuses on earlier support, keeping people in work and implementing adjustments promptly. It says around 300,000 people with a health condition leave work each year and highlights the importance of earlier intervention and more inclusive workplaces.
Again, this does not mean every departure from work is caused by a failure to make a reasonable adjustment.
But it does underline why workplace support and retention are receiving increasing attention.
Reasonable adjustments are not just an HR issue
The process involves the whole workplace.
Managers need to understand how to respond.
HR needs a process that works.
IT may need to provide accessible technology.
Facilities may need to make physical changes.
Colleagues may need to understand a change in working arrangements.
Senior leaders need to make sure inclusion is actually reflected in workplace practice.
And the employee needs to be involved throughout.
That is why disability awareness should not sit in one department.
It should be part of how an organisation works.
What good reasonable-adjustment practice looks like
A good process does not mean every request is automatically approved.
It means the request is taken seriously.
It means the employee is listened to.
It means the employer considers the circumstances properly.
It means decisions are not unnecessarily delayed.
It means the employee knows what is happening.
And if the original request cannot be implemented, it means there is a conversation about what else could remove or reduce the disadvantage.
Most importantly, it means the person is not forgotten while everyone else works out what to do.
The simple question employers should ask
When an employee asks for a reasonable adjustment, ask:
“What is stopping this person from doing their job effectively, and what can we do to remove or reduce that barrier?”
Then keep talking.
Keep the employee informed.
Keep looking for practical solutions.
And check whether the solution actually works.
Because reasonable adjustments are not about giving someone an advantage.
They are about removing or reducing a disability-related disadvantage so that someone has a fair opportunity to participate in work.
Disability awareness needs to become practical
The current UK conversation around reasonable adjustments shows why disability awareness cannot simply be a policy statement.
Managers and employees need to understand what disability inclusion looks like in real situations.
That includes knowing how to respond when someone asks for an adjustment, understanding why communication matters, recognising that invisible disabilities exist and avoiding assumptions about what a disabled person can or cannot do.
That is exactly where practical disability awareness training can help.
AbillityU’s CPD-approved Disability Awareness in the Workplace course provides organisations with a straightforward introduction to disability awareness and inclusive workplaces.
It takes around 50 minutes and is designed to help staff understand disability and put more inclusive approaches into practice.
Because knowing that reasonable adjustments exist is one thing. Knowing how to respond when someone actually needs one is another.
If your organisation wants to build greater disability awareness across its team, explore the Disability Awareness in the Workplace course from AbillityU.
A reasonable adjustment request should not disappear into a black hole.
For the employee making the request, the issue is often happening right now.
Every day without the adjustment may mean another day of working around a barrier.
The solution will not always be immediate.
The decision will not always be straightforward.
But communication can start immediately.
Acknowledge the request.
Listen to the employee.
Understand the barrier.
Consider the options.
Keep the employee informed.
Put the adjustment in place as soon as reasonably practicable.
Then check that it actually works.
That is how a reasonable adjustment becomes more than a policy requirement.
It becomes practical support that helps a disabled person do their job effectively.